Shopping bag



Aug. 27, 1940.

J. OMEARA SHOPPING BAG 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 19, 1958 Inventor fuse d fl/Vaara Atiomgys 1940- J. O'MEARA 2,212,790

SHOPPING BAG Filed July 19, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1L K117i A? In ventor Ja e aizfliyemn.

Patented Aug. 27, 1940 uurrsn STATES PATENT orrlcs 1 Claim.

This invention relates to bags andparticularly to so-ca-lled shopping bags.

'An object of the present invention is to provide a bag of this character which may be cheaply and 5 economically Constructed, and which may be made of light metal or other suitable material;

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying .drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the bag,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the b Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view partly in section and partly in elevation showing the manner of attaching the handle to a side Wall of the bag, and

Figure 5 is a perspective View of an end portion of the lower longitudinal strip of one of the sides of the'bag.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals it will be seen that in the preferred embodiment thereof my improved bag comprises a pair of opposed side walls 5-5, a pair of end walls EB, and a bottom wall I.

The walls 5 are each constructed of an up-' per longitudinal strip 8, a bottom longitudinal strip 9, and an intermediate longitudinal strip l0 together with transverse or vertical strips including intermediate strips I l and end strips I2.

Strips II and I2 are secured to strips 8, 9 and Ill in any suitable manner, as by being adhesively united therewith or otherwise.

Each of the endwalls 6 is composedof a vertical series of articulated links or sections including end links I3 which at one end are provided with eyes I l that engage in eyes l5 provided at the terminals of the strips 8 and 9 and eyes [6 provided at the terminals of the strips l0,together with intermediate links I! which at their respective opposite ends are provided with eyes with which the inner ends of the links I3 are engaged. Thus it will be seen that a flexible boxlike body for the bag is provided.

Also for the bag there is provided a pair of handles, and each handle I! is substantially U- shaped and has the legs thereof provided with loops I8 that engage in eyes I9 formed integral with the upper edges of the strips 8.

Completing the box-like structure is the afore-' mentioned bottom I, which like the sides 6, is formed of a plurality of cross strips each of which includes a plurality of articulated links including end links 20 which at one end are provided with eyes or loops 2I that engage integral eyes or loops 22 provided on the lower edges of the side strips 9,'and at their inner free ends are provided with slits 22 to accommodate loops or eyes 23 on the respective opposite ends of intermediate links 24.

Thus it will be seen that the bottom, side and end walls of the bag are flexible, thus permitting the entire bag to be reduced to a very small compass.

Also for holding the bag in an expanded condition, there are provided at the top of the bag and adjacent the opposite ends of the latter cross the free ends thereof the cross bars 29 are provided in the lower edges withslots or notches 29 that,

receive the upper edge of the strip 8 of the opposite side wall 5 when the bars 25 are disposed transversely of the box. Thus with the bars 25 engaged with the side walls as shown in Figure 3 and extending between the side walls said bars serve to prevent undue collapsing of the shopping bag.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, utility and advantages of a shopping bag embodying the features of construction illustrated and described will be had without a further detailed description thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

A bag of the class described comprising a pair of side members each composed of spaced flat horizontally extending strips, and a plurality of spaced vertically extending fiat strips rigidly connected with the horizontal extending strips, said horizontally extending strips including upper, lower and intermediate strips the ends of the horizontally extending strips having vertically elongated eyes formed therein with the eye carrying parts projecting beyond the vertical strips at the ends of the side member, depending lugs carried by the lowermost horizontal strip of each side member, said lugs each having a transversely extending slot therein a bottom member composed of spaced and flat transversely extending strips, each strip consisting of end and intermediate articulated links, the end links having their ends passing through the'slots in the depending lugs, with said ends curved around portions of the depending lugs, a pair of end members each formed of spaced and flat strips and each strip consisting of end and intermediate articulated links, the end links having their outer ends passing through the eyes at the ends of the horizontal strips of the' 

